Binakol (Binakol)
Overview
Binakol is a Filipino chicken soup cooked in coconut water instead of plain water. Chicken pieces are first sautéed with garlic, onion and plenty of ginger, then simmered in the clear juice of young coconuts with bruised lemongrass and a little fish sauce. Grated or strips of young coconut flesh, chunks of green papaya or chayote and leafy greens such as chilli leaves or moringa are added near the end. The broth is light and clear, gently sweet from the coconut water and fragrant with ginger and lemongrass. Some cooks add chillies, and it can also be made with other meats or seafood.
History
Binakol comes from the Western Visayas, especially the provinces of Iloilo and Aklan on the island of Panay. Traditionally it was cooked inside bamboo tubes set over a fire, or directly in halved coconut shells. It is closely related to tinola, the Filipino ginger chicken soup, and to ginataang manok, but it uses coconut water rather than water or coconut milk, which gives it its delicate sweetness.
Main ingredients
Chicken, coconut water, grated coconut, lemongrass, ginger, green papaya. The soup is built on coconut water broth and is usually served hot. Diet: contains meat; usually gluten-free.
Explore: Chicken soups · Coconut soups · Lemongrass soups · More soups from Philippines
Recipe
Method
- 15 min
Sauté the garlic, onion and ginger in a little oil, add the chicken and fish sauce and cook for 5 minutes.
- 225 min
Pour in the coconut water, add the lemongrass and simmer for 25 minutes.
- 310 min
Add the papaya or chayote and cook for 10 minutes, until tender.
- 42 min
Add the coconut flesh and the leaves and cook for 2 minutes.
- 5
Season with fish sauce and serve hot.
- ✓
Serve. About 1h 5m from start to bowl.
Sources
Description, history and recipe written by SoupWiki and checked against the sources above. Calories and times are rough estimates.
